Lawmakers voted by 395-303 to elect Scholz as chancellor, with six abstentions. His three-party coalition holds 416 seats in the 736-seat lower house of parliament. Scholz exchanged fist bumps with lawmakers from across the political spectrum. He was to be formally named as chancellor by Germany’s president and sworn in by the speaker of parliament later Wednesday. Merkel, no longer a member of parliament, was in the spectators’ gallery. Lawmakers gave her a standing ovation as the session started.

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